Final answer:
William Paley put forward the metaphor comparing living organisms to watches to show that both required a conscious designer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The famous metaphor that compared living organisms to watches to show that both required a conscious designer was put forward by William Paley in the eighteenth century. Paley employed an analogy between design as found within a watch and design as found within the universe to advance his position. He argued that the complexity and order seen in both living organisms and watches indicated the presence of a designer.